The hardest part of getting “the Call”—hearing from super literary agent Nicole Resciniti—was that I was virtually alone.
I say virtually because my then 5-year-old son was snoring away in the backseat, tuckered out from a day at the playground.
I was in the middle of Nowhere, Pennsylvania, having just picked up fresh veggies and fruits from our farm share, when my cell phone rang. (Don’t be judgy; I had Bluetooth sync.)
While I drove down a winding, one-lane road, Nicole told me she had read my manuscript and—here’s where I forgot to breathe—she loved it. Gasp! A non-family member read my book! And used the “L” word to describe it!
If it hadn’t been a one-lane road without a shoulder to turn onto, and if I hadn’t been on the way to pick up my daughter from karate class without a minute to spare, I would’ve pulled over to do a happy dance right then and there.
Nic went on to ask if I was open to revisions (“Absolutely!”) and went through a quick plan on how to handle submissions.
I tentatively asked, “If you like the edits I make, does that mean you’ll be my agent?” I swear, preteen boys asking girls to their first middle school dance couldn’t have been more awkward about it. She graciously laughed and said yes, and then asked me questions about how I envisioned my career. As a writer. Because that’s what I was. A writer. With (almost) an agent. Swoon.
The whole call lasted about 10 minutes. I barely remembered a bit of it, which might be a common occurrence since Nicole followed up with an e-mail later that day.
Inside my head, I drank champagne, danced a jig and celebrated like a rock star. In reality, I picked up my sweaty daughter, woke up my sleepy son, and unpacked my fresh veggies … like a mom.
Luckily, I have a great imagination.
That was more than a year ago.
Since then, my family has moved a few states away, I've written a different manuscript, and I still have to pinch myself once in awhile.
And I am eagerly awaiting the next "Call." In this one, Nicole will tell me a publisher has made an offer on one of my books.
That time, I promise, no matter where I am, I'll be dancing!